Winter 2001 Vol. 6, No. 4

The Flicka is “Out of Production” Flicka Friends - Winter 2001 Contents From The Editor s/v KITTIWAKE & The Gulf 1 Hal DeVaney By Tom Davison newsletter can put in the web page. Another advantage of Publisher is the Contents 2 In my spare time this summer, I ability to create postscript files that converted the Flicka Home Page from can be “distilled” into Acrobat PDF From The Editor 2 Adobe Pagemill to Microsoft files. Besides reducing the Publisher Tom Davison Publisher and the “new” Flicka Home files down from 15-20 MB to 100-300 Page is approaching 250 individual KB, Flicka Friends PDF files can be Flicka “Out of Production” 2 pages. While the Adobe software placed on internet for all to download. Pacific Seacraft would work well for the web, I Since they are in full color and are converted Rod Bruckdorfer’s web originals, anyone with a color printer All Aboard? 3 pages to Microsoft Publisher. While ends up with the best results. Tom Davison some may view this as going backwards, Publisher offers a number I’d like to thank Bruce P. Bingham About Flicka Friends 3 of features most web publishing again for allowing me to reprint the programs do not. FLICKA—A Happy Little Ship Distant Horizons 4 article. Since most new Flicka owners Rod Bruckdorfer Since I am the Editor for this may not have access to the 1980 issue newsletter and the WebCaptain for of Small Boat Journal, this should be a YAHOO Flicka20 Group 5 the Flicka Home Page, software was welcome addition to their Flicka files. Tom Davison needed that would work for both. Since Publisher was already being Turning to a sad bit of news, a lack of Self-Steering for a Flicka 6 used for the newsletter, and a newer sales has returned the Flicka to an Jobst Vandrey version offered the ability to create “Out of Production” Status. See the web pages, it was an easy decision to story below for more information from Ten Things Every Flicka Own 7 make. Anything that appears in the Pacific Seacraft. Should Know Ray Rippel s/v KITTIWAKE & The Gulf 8 Hal DeVaney Flicka “Out of Production” The following information was copied parts and technical information. Many from the Pacific Seacraft web page: of the Flicka components are no longer Next Issue... available and some of the suppliers are Flicka 20 no longer operating. • s/v MOTU sails from San Francisco Bay to Ventura Pacific Seacraft's Web Based Service Pacific Seacraft's support for the Flicka & Support Policy—October 2001 is exclusively web based. • Installing a furling system on s/v SHILOH Pacific Seacraft offered new Flicka's PSC will continue to accumulate a for sale in Spring of 2001 following a Flicka knowledgebase at couple of years of the Flicka being out Cover Photo of production. No orders were received pacificseacraft.com. so the Flicka is being returned to "Out s/v SOLOMA of Production" status. PSC will do its best to respond to email requests for information that is not in Galveston Bay, Texas. Pacific Seacraft (PSC) will make its available on (Captain—Vickie Parrish) best effort to provide replacement parts Photo by Hal DeVaney and technical advice for the Flicka. pacificseacraft.com.

However, minimal historical documen- If you have a high quality photo of tation, inconsistent tolerances, kit boats Regrettably, PSC can not promise a your Flicka and would like to see it on and the age of the Flicka limit Pacific prompt reply nor will PSC provide tele- the cover, please let me know. Seacraft's capability to provide accurate phone support.

Page 2 Vol. 6, No. 4 All Aboard? About Flicka Friends

Flicka Friends is a newsletter written for the people who own, crew aboard or are interested in the Flicka, a 20 foot sailing vessel designed by Bruce P. Bingham.

Based on the Newport boats of Block Island Sound, this little ship has been built from various materials from the 1970’s until 2001. This includes Flickas constructed from plans obtained directly from Bruce’s California office. About 400 sets of plans were sold. According to Bruce Bingham, many Flickas can be found in New Zealand, Australia and Sweden.

A number of hulls were built by Nor’star and some were completed by Westerly Marine. The manufacturer of the bulk of the class is Pacific Seacraft Corporation who built more than 430 hulls in While not the record, having fifteen people aboard California. your Flicka is certainly uncommon. The record goes to Flicka Friends is published on a

the crew of s/v CORSAIR with twenty-four people aboard. quarterly basis, with issues being mailed in March, June, September and but this one included a few friends By Tom Davison December. Articles, letters, comments aboard. With fifteen people aboard, and photos relating to the Flicka are Since returning form the South Pacific, the waterline dropped nearly one foot welcomed and encouraged. Charlie and Margaret Dewell have bringing the deck even with the found considerable interest in their marina dock. but there seemed to be trip. Besides writing a book about their room for everyone. © Copyright 2001 trip (KAWABUNGA’s South Sea Dennis Pratt/Flicka Friends Adventure), they have appeared on Using the Coast Guard standard television, at marinas, colleges, sail average of 150 pounds per person, Dennis Pratt - Publisher gatherings and at the Flicka Fever this added 2,250 pounds to the 685 Spring Street, #191 Rendezvous at the Isthmus on Catalina displacement of their favorite little Friday Harbor, WA 98250 Island. ship. Certainly a few more than might (360) 370-5133 be legal, but it makes for a great [email protected] Recently, Charlie sent me an e-mail photo. with several photos of s/v Tom Davison - Editor KAWABUNGA!. The first was of While this is more people than most P.O. Box 922 their “BABY,” (Pacific Seacraft # Flicka owners have ever had aboard, Sutton’s Bay, MI 49682-0922 169) at their boat slip in Marina del the record goes to Jan Allen and John (231) 271-5111 Rey, California. Westerholme. Their Flicka, s/v [email protected] CORSAIR, had 22 other people The other photo (above) also showed aboard in the Sea of Cortez, bringing http:www.nmo.net/ s/v KAWABUNGA in their boat slip, the total to 24! ~flickafriends/index.html

Page 3 Flicka Friends - Winter 2001 Distant Horizons By Rod Bruckdorfer

When I first published the Flicka Website in April 1998, I was just hoping to meet sailors who had voyaged in this legendary pocket cruiser. I had no idea after three and a half years the web counter would exceed 185,000 visits. During the three and a half years, I have met and made friends via the Internet with many sailors and voyagers from all over the world. It has been a wonderful experience to share distance horizons, exchange information and help others masters these wonderful little craft. It is with sadness I relinquish command as the Flicka WebCaptain.

Tom Davison, Editor of “Flicka Friends” has accepted the command. Rod Bruckdorfer’s Bristol Channel s/v IDUNA. I will lend my support as a technical editor. Tom has been very supportive of the Flicka Website. The format African Moon and started the wind. Day became night - we sailed has changed but the content remains rebuilding process and kindling the through that magic time called the same. The Website under Tom's dream. During the five years of twilight. The water and air were guidance has a strong future. The rebuilding, she taught us much and quiet, a chill slowly moved into the new WebCaptain will need your we gave her new life and a new autumn air - it was magic. Into the help. This site is only as good as the future. After we launched African night we sailed - a tack here, a tack material and photos Flicka owners Moon in 1994, she taught us respect there, always moving toward home provide. I ask that as you sail this for wind and sea, we learned her but hoping it would never end. summer and fall, take photos and spirit under sail and she kept us We tacked to sail away from the send them to Tom Davison. Keep a warm, dry and safe over several Craighill Channel to avoid a ship and log of your day sails and cruises and thousand sea miles. a barge as we sailed into the share the experience with others. The Patapsco River and eventually past Flicka is probably one of the finest ..... “All day and into the evening the White Rocks in Rock Creek. For pocket cruisers ever built but its African Moon sailed at ~2 1/2 us it was beautiful - a never ending following can only remain strong if knots under OTTO, our windvane memory of the joy of sharing the owners contribute to publications, steering system. She was gently cockpit of a "little ship" making her such as "Flicka Friends", the Flicka heeled at 10 degrees, moving with passage home after nine wonderful Website and sailing magazines. an easy motion on a flat bay, with days on the Chesapeake and only the wind dimpling the water. experiencing her many secrets and As many of you know, we sold our Lunch came and went, the wine was magic.” beloved Nor'star Flicka, African sipped and she was a happy ship. Moon and purchased a Canadian We moved toward our destination From the log of African Moon. built Bristol Channel Cutter named and were lifted toward the Patapsco IDUNA. It is time for us "to go" in a River and our marina in Rock Fair Winds, Following Seas and few years. We are not as young as Creek. The western sky became Thank You. we were in 1989 when we purchased crimson as we sailed on a gentle NE Rod Bruckdorfer

Page 4 Vol. 6, No. 4

Rod’s Bristol Channel Cutter s/v IDUNA moored at sunset. Evening sunlight on s/v IDUNA.

s/v IDUNA touches the Chesapeake Bay. These two photos show the attachment and pulley arrangement for a self-steering for a Flicka.

Page 5 Flicka Friends - Winter 2001 Self Steering for a Flicka Jobst Vandrey s/v Solar Wind

A hand on the tiller is a satisfying feeling, however, there are times when some relief for the person at the helm becomes necessary. For single handers or those with an inexperienced crew, such relief has meant installation of an electric tiller mounted autopilot such as the Autohelm 1000 or one of it’s larger cousins. Others have installed a wind vane system such as the Monitor or Navik device. These steering systems have proven themselves well over time. However, the electric systems do not respond to changes in s/v Solar Wind with Sheet-To-Tiller steering using the Mainsheet the wind direction without troublesome added equipment, and the mounted wind vanes are heavy.

From a cost perspective, electric systems will set the boat owner back from $450 to $1,500 while the Monitor type wind vanes will cost over $3,000 new and then require expensive installation. While these systems are commercially designed and are known to be effective, sailors have long known that there are simpler (and significantly cheaper) methods of self steering. The most common of these alternatives is called sheet-to-tiller steering and was originally popularized in a book by John S Letcher, Self Steering for Sailing Craft, ISBN# 0-87742-042-4, out of print but sometimes available from used book dealers).

Simply stated, sheet–to-tiller self A similar set up on Hal DeVaney’s s/v KITTIWAKE. steering consists of a section of elastic tubing that pulls the tiller slightly to leeward of center while an In addition to the reference book blocks and bits of line. Total arrangement consisting of a snatch mentioned above, complete details with expenditures are around $100, the block attached to one of the sail’s photographs of the sheet-to-tiller complete gear requires no electricity to sheets and some turning blocks arrangement are found on several web operate, fits in a small pouch, and will balances the elastic and pulls to sites including www.pocketyacht.com. work on every point of sail. Once set windward. The required steering force up, helmsman is free to move about the is supplied by the natural variation of Sheet-To-Tiller steering can be set up boat at will while the changing force of the tension on either the mainsheet or on virtually every tiller steered the wind on the sails keeps the boat on the sheet caused by wind changes. using amber latex tubing, a few small her correct course relative to the wind. Page 6 Vol. 6, No. 4 YAHOO Flicka20 Group This should stop the constant flow of messages to your e-mail box and make your life easier. If should also stop all those commercials that are attached to the files. Hopefully, this will mean no more cookies. I’m waiting to hear from this person, so the jury is out. T o check the postings on the Flicka20 Group, all you will need to do is open the web page and view the ones you are interested in.

You still will need to sign on to post messages and download Flicka Friends issues. That should not result in any direct e-mails, the YAHOO ads, or cookies on your computer. Maybe another bulletin board might be considered in the future, but for now the Flicka20 Group is the best option.

Membership The Flicka20 Group continues to grow with the total now at more than one Vickie Parrish and s/v SOLOMA (Pacific Seacraft Flicka # 420) hundred and forty. Membership broke sailing on Galveston Bay, Texas. one hundred mark in mid-2001. By Tom Davison your favorite little ship. Hal agreed to place the Adobe Acrobat PDF files Mutual Support Hal DeVaney started the Flicka20 that contain Flicka Friends issues on Since Pacific Seacraft will not be Group in 1999. And the number of the Flicka20 Group Page. This makes providing telephone support for the people using the bulletin board has them available to all without any more Flicka and cannot guarantee prompt grown steadily. effort than down-loading them. answers, current and former Flicka captains need to help keep our favorite Moving the Flicka Discussion board Recently, someone commented about little ships going. from the “old” Flicka Home Page to a the cookies and automatic messages Yahoo group appears to be taking off. from the YAHOO Flicka20 Group. As The mutual support network appears to While the ATT site was OK and the default setting, you get the be strong. The Flicka Sailboat Home allowed Flicka owners to trade messages automatically sent to your e- Page, Flicka Friends, the Yahoo information, there was one serious mail address. While this provides you Flicka20 Group and the Sail Net limitation; only one hundred with the Flicka information that Pacific Seacraft board will become the messages could be retained. As the appears on the Flicka20 Group, this sources for Flicka information. board filled up, Rod Bruckdorfer had may be more than you care to deal to decide which messages were more with on a regular basis, especially if The first Flickas are nearly 30 years important than other and then remove you travel and can’t check your e-mail old and a few of the brokerage photos enough to allow new postings. daily. You can turn off the automatic show that some are looking their age. e-mails by going to the Flicka20 Please remain active and attentive to The YAHOO Flicka20 Group allows Group and “signing in” using your the requests for assistance. Everyone messages to be retained along with a password. Go to “EDIT MY will need to rely on the experience of host of other options. The best might MEMBERSHIP” and change the others to keep the Flicka fleet going be the ability to include photos of setting to No E-mail. through the years.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Flicka20 Page 7 Flicka Friends - Winter 2001 s/v KITTIWAKE and the Gulf By Hal DeVaney

Sunday was a great sail for s/v KITTIWAKE. It marked the first time I was able to get her beyond the Galveston jetties and out to sea. Not far mind you, just a few miles, but what a nice ride it was! It's about 5 miles from my dock to the end of the jetties, and tide flow between the jetties can run as high at three knots. Murphy usually makes sure you are bucking it both ways!

The weather was perfect with a fair 13 knot breeze out of the South East. Heading due east out the jetties and next to the busy Galveston ship channel I was making 7 knots under 70% jib and full main. According to the GPS. But the tide was running out at a good 2 knots!

Once off shore, I noticed for the first time that there were Frigate birds in the Galveston area. I had only seen one before, but today they were everywhere, gliding at several hundred feet and seemingly never beating their 6 foot wings!

After today I cannot wait much longer to get a bimini installed. I was cooked real good under the hot Texas Sun, Hans and Aase Dillmann aboard s/v SEA BOUND, despite liberal applications of Sun Block! Once I made it (their 1981 Flicka) in Galveston Bay, Texas. beyond the jetties I met up with Hans and Ossa, in their Flicka. They have owned their Flicka, since new in '82. It Dropped the jib and commenced to do the main. As I was was a treat to see another Flicka sailing. tying up the main sail I was shocked to see white smoke coming out of the cabin. Now, I admit I have this occasional A view of the end of the South jetty. At one time there was a cigar smoking habit so my first conclusion was that I must light house there, and it stood about 90 feet high. Quite a dropped it there. Jumping below and frantically moving every famous land mark. It eventually fell over and now I see, the thing around, looking for flames, but there was none. wreckage is being removed. The end of jetty won't be the same without it! Thankfully, it turned out the be the fire extinguisher. It had somehow gone off and now I have to clean up the dry powder After a few hours it was time to start back. The tide was it expelled everywhere! This was the first time I had ever running out full speed by now and slowed my progress to heard of a malfunctioning extinguisher! about 4 knots. Once near the marina, I powered up the OB and motored into the wind with the tiller pilot set. A great sail it was. Can't wait to get back out there!

Removing the remains of the lighthouse that once stood on the south jetty in Galveston Bay. Page 8 Vol. 6, No. 4 Ten Things Every Flicka Owner Should Know

By Ray Rippel #4: Three Books You MUST Have where the porta-pottie is, making for a On Board: much more attractive cabin. I can’t I’ve owned s/v Ku’uipo (Hawaiian for tell you how much more “homey” the “my sweetheart”) for about nine years. The World's Best : A cabin looks when viewed from the There are a few things I’ve learned Survey by Ferenc Mate. Have this on cockpit, if you don’t see the porta- about her during that time that I wish I board so you can prove that you have pottie. Some fabric and Velcro would would have known from the one of the, well, you know. also work. beginning. I’m sure most of you have discovered them in far less time, but Kawabunga's South Seas #7: Unused Storage Areas: I’m hoping that at least one will be Adventure: Blue Water Cruising in If you are in need of more storage something new. a Twenty Foot Boat by Charles S. areas, carefully use your tools to cut Dewell. If you want to know what away selected areas of the fiberglass #1: Best Spot on the Boat: it’s like on board a Flicka at sea, all interior liner to allow for more stuff. This one is personal choice, of course, by yourself, this is the book for you. There are lots of spots that can be but every guest I’ve introduced to this A great story. modified, particularly around the spot has fallen in love with it’s view galley. In fact, the whole galley area and comfort, especially on a run or The Sailor’s Sketchbook. This is a wastes almost as much space as it reach. It’s a little less comfortable book full of do-it-yourself-projects, provides. However, unless you are close-hauled. The spot I’m talking written by - pause, pause, pause - very confident of your skills, talk to about is the foredeck, using the front BRUCE BINGHAM! Gee, I can’t someone you trust in your boatyard of the cabin as a back rest. Not only is imagine why so many of the projects before you start hacking. it the perfect spot for a little solitary work so well on a Flicka. My contemplation, but it’s also great for favorite: using the top of the storage #8: Using Outboard Under Sail: couples. The boat even sails better area under the aft end of the Those of us with outboards know that with a little more weight forward. starboard settee (on boats without a the biggest drawback is that you can’t When I first took my wife (actually ) as a table top that attaches to motor in waves above four feet. At before she was my wife) I sent her out the tiller. least that’s what I thought! My last there all by herself. We were on a significant voyage I motor-sailed for reach, late in the evening, with the #5: How She Handles Big Waves: quite a long period of time, even on a panorama of Oahu laid out in front of I’ve not had her out in really heavy port tack, which lifts the engine a few her. Now you know why I give my weather, but the waters around more inches out of the water. My long boat an honorable mention in gaining Hawaii exceed twelve feet regularly. shaft still did the job, though, and my current spouse. On any kind of reach., with at least gained me 15 or 20 degrees, which ten knots of wind, she’s a pure joy. saves hours of tacking time. #2: Worst Place for the Compass: She’ll climb fourteen footers all day Please, learn from my mistake and do long and never complain. Close #9: Comfort of the Quarterberth: not cut a hole in the bulkhead between hauled, she’s little wet, and loses lots I’m six feet three inches tall, so it isn’t the cockpit seats and the cabin. True, of boat-speed if you try to pinch. A easy getting into the quarterberth. it makes a great place for the compass, run is fun, as long as it isn’t directly However, once in, especially under during that .000001 % of the time that down wind. Going directly way, it is an amazingly comfortable you are actually looking at the downwind in big seas is by far the place to sleep, on both tacks. I have compass, but it spoils a wonderful most uncomfortable point of sail, and no idea how long the berth actually is, backrest in the cockpit, and a place to it’s tremendously hard on the rigging. but I can stretch out even with a hang artwork or a small fiddled shelf couple of sails stored at the end. on the inside. Dumb idea. #6: Best Improvement Project: I saw this project on the Flicka #10: OK, I cheated on this one. #3: Flicka Web Site: website I mentioned above while This is one thing that every non-Flicka Everyone probably knows this one, but looking at photos of other boats. For owner, that hopes one day to BE a if anyone doesn’t, try: those of use without marine heads, the Flicka owner, should know: no matter porta-pottie goes in a cut out at the aft what you have to do or sacrifice to get http://www.nmo.net/~flickafriends/ end of the v-berth. It’s not a super- your little gem: mainpage/index.html easy job, but with simple skills and a weekend, you can enclose the area IT’S WORTH IT!!!

Page 9 Flicka Friends - Winter 2001

F L I C K A F R I E N D S

George Janacek’s s/v FLICKA (Pacific Seacraft Flicka # 297).

Above, Left, Right

Photos from Hal DeVaney’s trip aboard Flicka s/v KITTWAKE into the Gulf of Mexico from Galveston Bay, Texas.

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